| "F.B.I." | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Shadows | ||||
| B-side | "Midnight" | |||
| Released | 3 February 1961 | |||
| Recorded | 13 September 1960 [1] | |||
| Studio | EMI Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Instrumental rock | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Composer(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Norrie Paramor | |||
| The Shadows singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"F.B.I." is an instrumental rock tune recorded by the British group the Shadows and released as a single in February 1961. It spent 19 weeks in the UK Singles Chart reaching number 6 in mid-February and mid-March 1961. [2]
Release and reception
"F.B.I." was written by the Shadows' Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris, but due to complicated publishing contracts it was credited to their manager Peter Gormley. [3] The actual composers' names never appeared on the credits. It was released as a single by EMI on the Columbia label, with the B-side "Midnight", written by Marvin and Welch. [4] It was released in the United States and Canada in July 1961 on Atlantic Records with "The Frightened City", written by Norrie Paramor, as the B-side. [5]
Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl described "F.B.I." as "a quick moving melody that may not quite live up to the implications of the title – but which is a very contagious thing all the same". He also wrote the "Midnight" "seems pretty obviously to have been inspired (consciously or not) by " Sleep Walker". The same sliding electric guitar technique is used for a similarly lazy melody". [6]
Track listing
7": Columbia / DB 4580
- "F.B.I." – 2:18
- "Midnight" – 2:30
7": Atlantic / 2111 (US and Canada)
- "FBI" – 1:52
- "The Frightened City" – 2:21
Musicians
- Hank Marvin – lead guitar
- Bruce Welch – rhythm guitar
- Jet Harris – bass guitar
- Tony Meehan – drums and percussion
Charts
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ( Kent Music Report) [7] | 60 |
| Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders) [8] | 18 |
| Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [9] | 16 |
| Canada ( Vancouver CFUN) [10] | 24 |
| France [11] | 3 |
| Netherlands ( Single Top 100) [12] | 18 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) [13] | 3 |
| UK Singles ( OCC) [2] | 6 |
Covers
- A cover version of "F.B.I." with " Wheels" as the B-side (cat. WB 436) was released in February 1961 on the UK Embassy Records budget label – sold exclusively in Woolworths stores. It was credited to "Bud Ashton" (a generic pseudonym used to represent whatever session musician had actually made the recording). [14]
- English guitarist Bert Weedon covered the song on his 1976 compilation album 22 Golden Guitar Greats. [15]
- Queen guitarist Brian May covered "F.B.I." with Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo on the 1996 tribute album Twang!: A Tribute to Hank Marvin & the Shadows, and it later appeared as the B-side of his 1998 single "Why Don't We Try Again". [16]
- Experimental rock group Massacre recorded a cover of "F.B.I." in 1981, which was released on their 2005 reissue of Killing Time. [17]
- Ian Hunter and his band, featuring the guitarist Mick Ronson, covered "F.B.I." on the double live disc Welcome to the Club. [18]
- The solo in Australian alternative rock group TISM's 1995 single " Greg! The Stop Sign!!" is a variation on the intro riff.
- Jethro Tull's "From a Deadbeat To an Old Greaser", a cut from the album Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!, contained the line "When bombs were banned every Sunday and the Shadows did F.B.I."
References
- ^ Koers, Ivo. "Instrumentation On Shadows Recordings II: The Primary Singles" (PDF). malcolmcampbell.me.uk. p. 6. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Shadows: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ Bruce Welch; Howard Elson (1989). A Life in the Shadows. London: Viking Publishers. pp. 123–124. ISBN 0-670-82705-3.
- ^ "The Shadows - F.B.I." 45cat. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "The Shadows - FBI". 45cat. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Disc Date" (PDF). Disc. 4 February 1961. p. 10. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
- ^ " The Shadows – F.B.I." (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ " The Shadows – F.B.I." (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "C-Funtastic Week of September 16, 1961". 16 September 1961. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 3 July 1961. p. 14. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ " The Shadows – F.B.I." (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Lever Hit Parade". flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Bud Ashton – F.B.I. / Wheels (1961, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Bert Weedon – Bert Weedon's 22 Golden Guitar Greats (1976, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1976. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Twang! - A Tribute To Hank Marvin & The Shadows (1996, CD)". Discogs. 1996. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Massacre – Killing Time (2005, Digipak, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Ian Hunter – Welcome To The Club - Live (1980, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1980. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
| "F.B.I." | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Single by The Shadows | ||||
| B-side | "Midnight" | |||
| Released | 3 February 1961 | |||
| Recorded | 13 September 1960 [1] | |||
| Studio | EMI Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Instrumental rock | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Composer(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Norrie Paramor | |||
| The Shadows singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"F.B.I." is an instrumental rock tune recorded by the British group the Shadows and released as a single in February 1961. It spent 19 weeks in the UK Singles Chart reaching number 6 in mid-February and mid-March 1961. [2]
Release and reception
"F.B.I." was written by the Shadows' Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris, but due to complicated publishing contracts it was credited to their manager Peter Gormley. [3] The actual composers' names never appeared on the credits. It was released as a single by EMI on the Columbia label, with the B-side "Midnight", written by Marvin and Welch. [4] It was released in the United States and Canada in July 1961 on Atlantic Records with "The Frightened City", written by Norrie Paramor, as the B-side. [5]
Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl described "F.B.I." as "a quick moving melody that may not quite live up to the implications of the title – but which is a very contagious thing all the same". He also wrote the "Midnight" "seems pretty obviously to have been inspired (consciously or not) by " Sleep Walker". The same sliding electric guitar technique is used for a similarly lazy melody". [6]
Track listing
7": Columbia / DB 4580
- "F.B.I." – 2:18
- "Midnight" – 2:30
7": Atlantic / 2111 (US and Canada)
- "FBI" – 1:52
- "The Frightened City" – 2:21
Musicians
- Hank Marvin – lead guitar
- Bruce Welch – rhythm guitar
- Jet Harris – bass guitar
- Tony Meehan – drums and percussion
Charts
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ( Kent Music Report) [7] | 60 |
| Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders) [8] | 18 |
| Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [9] | 16 |
| Canada ( Vancouver CFUN) [10] | 24 |
| France [11] | 3 |
| Netherlands ( Single Top 100) [12] | 18 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) [13] | 3 |
| UK Singles ( OCC) [2] | 6 |
Covers
- A cover version of "F.B.I." with " Wheels" as the B-side (cat. WB 436) was released in February 1961 on the UK Embassy Records budget label – sold exclusively in Woolworths stores. It was credited to "Bud Ashton" (a generic pseudonym used to represent whatever session musician had actually made the recording). [14]
- English guitarist Bert Weedon covered the song on his 1976 compilation album 22 Golden Guitar Greats. [15]
- Queen guitarist Brian May covered "F.B.I." with Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo on the 1996 tribute album Twang!: A Tribute to Hank Marvin & the Shadows, and it later appeared as the B-side of his 1998 single "Why Don't We Try Again". [16]
- Experimental rock group Massacre recorded a cover of "F.B.I." in 1981, which was released on their 2005 reissue of Killing Time. [17]
- Ian Hunter and his band, featuring the guitarist Mick Ronson, covered "F.B.I." on the double live disc Welcome to the Club. [18]
- The solo in Australian alternative rock group TISM's 1995 single " Greg! The Stop Sign!!" is a variation on the intro riff.
- Jethro Tull's "From a Deadbeat To an Old Greaser", a cut from the album Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!, contained the line "When bombs were banned every Sunday and the Shadows did F.B.I."
References
- ^ Koers, Ivo. "Instrumentation On Shadows Recordings II: The Primary Singles" (PDF). malcolmcampbell.me.uk. p. 6. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Shadows: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ Bruce Welch; Howard Elson (1989). A Life in the Shadows. London: Viking Publishers. pp. 123–124. ISBN 0-670-82705-3.
- ^ "The Shadows - F.B.I." 45cat. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "The Shadows - FBI". 45cat. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Disc Date" (PDF). Disc. 4 February 1961. p. 10. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
- ^ " The Shadows – F.B.I." (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ " The Shadows – F.B.I." (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "C-Funtastic Week of September 16, 1961". 16 September 1961. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 3 July 1961. p. 14. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ " The Shadows – F.B.I." (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Lever Hit Parade". flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Bud Ashton – F.B.I. / Wheels (1961, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Bert Weedon – Bert Weedon's 22 Golden Guitar Greats (1976, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1976. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Twang! - A Tribute To Hank Marvin & The Shadows (1996, CD)". Discogs. 1996. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Massacre – Killing Time (2005, Digipak, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Ian Hunter – Welcome To The Club - Live (1980, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1980. Retrieved 31 August 2021.